People might stick to a balanced diet in order to obtain nutrients to stay healthy. Some of these nutrients, like vitamin C, can be found in fruits and vegetables, while others, like vitamin D, aren't as abundant in diet. In fact, vitamin D typically is obtained through direct exposure to sunshine.
The Sunshine Vitamin
Vitamin D is sometimes referred to as "the sunshine vitamin" because it can be synthesized through your skin by direct sunlight exposure. In fact, MedlinePlus explains that your body naturally gets about 80 percent to 90 percent of vitamin D from sunshine. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, meaning when your body isn't using it, it stores the vitamin in fatty tissues.
Activation Process
Once vitamin D is synthesized from the sun, or obtained through diet or supplements, it must go through processes to be biologically active. The first process happens within the liver, where vitamin D will change into 25-hydroxy vitamin D, more simply referred to as calcidiol. The Office of Dietary Supplements explains that calcidiol becomes physiologically active in the kidney, where it converts to calcitriol, or 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D.
Significance
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin, which means you need it to live. It carries out a variety of tasks in the body, including helping to boost your immune system, aiding in the development of cells and stimulating the absorption of calcium. One of vitamin D's primary jobs is to to keep your bones and teeth healthy, so a lack of vitamin D can result in health problems such as the bone disease osteoarthritis. Deficiency of vitamin D might lead to rickets in children.
Sources
Most people get the majority of their vitamin D through the sun. There are, however, a few foods that contain vitamin D, including cheese, cod liver oil, beef liver, salmon and mackerel. Some milks and juices are fortified with this vitamin. Vitamin D is included in most multivitamins, but there also are vitamin D supplements available over the counter.
Recommendations
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D is 600 IU, or international units, daily for everyone from 1 to 70 years old. Babies under 12 months should get 400 IU, and people over 70 should obtain 800 IU.
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